Amalgamator and separator



Sept. 25 1923. 1,469,008

c. MEYER ET AL AMALGAMATOR AND SEPARATOR Original Filed Jan. 26, 1921 2sh t -s 1 Sept. 25 1923. 1,469,008

c.- MEYER ET L.

AMALGAMATOR 7 AND SEPARATOR Original Filed Jan. 2 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Sept. 25, 1923.

- oHARLEs MEYER AND HENRYEB. MEADE,

AMALeAivIAroa AND snraaaroa. Y

Original application filed Jams-26,1 21, Serial To all whom itmoyconcem:

Be it known that we, and HENRY B. M nion, citizens o'f the: UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles,win the county of Los Angeles and Stateof Caliincludes base metals such asiron, hematite and the like. I p VThe particular objects of our invention are to generally improve uponand simplify the construction of the existing types of amalgamators andparticularly those"- designed for the-liandlingof placer material; "topro vide a construction wherein an apparatus; of given size has arelatively large material handling capacity, and at the same time iseconomical in operation; to. provide. relatively simple and novel meansfor insuring the separation and-collection of the relatively fineror-niicroscopicparticles of precious metals; and further, to provide inan-a-malgamating apparatus; relatively simple and efiicient means forremoving particles-of iron, hematite, and the like, usually in the formof black sand, from a recovering or amalgamating agent, such as mercuryor the like.

Our present application is'a division of our copending application filedJanuary 26, 1921, Serial No. 440,186, 1 and shou-ldbe read andconsidered in connection therewith.

\Vith the foregoing and other "objects-in view, our invention consistsin certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts thatwill'be hereinafter 1nore fully described and claimed, and-illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which V Figure 1 is a'diagrammatic viewofiour improved amalgamator and separator, with parts thereof in sideelevation and invertical section; t

Fig. 2 is a plan end portion of the form of apparatus'that isillustrated; in. Fig." 1 and showing-the Crmminsf MEYER View of theright? hind ,7 ounce ANGEL'ES; oAIiIFoRNIA, assrerivons; T0 FRANK AGiLnEsPIE, or LOS AN ELES; CALIFORNIA.

No. 440,186.. Divided a ndq this app1-icationqfiled iJune ;2,192 1-.;.Serial nuance. i

means for automatically the sandfrom the tailings or waste-materialFig.- 3 is an enlarged cross sectiontakenzi approximately on the line'dfFig -Qi approximately on the, line 4-1101 Fig Q. Fig; 5, is-anenlarged cross section taken on theline- 5-5 of Fig, 3.

Fig; .4 is an enlarged vertical sectionltaken- :Referring'by numerals tothe, accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment ofour. invention, 110.designates a mixing box or launder which g receivesthe material to be acted upon through a] chute 11' and ater through: asupply; pipe 12; Located withinrthe boxgor container 10,.are baffleplates 13, the-:"lower edges of; which. are spacedapart from,'-thebottom' of said tom ofthe box adjacent to', the end in which charge pipe15, and leading into the box or '70" box, andthe upper edges beingconnected by a screen .14. Depending from the botlaunder above ;this5discl;1arge pipe: is a nas cent or regenerated mercury supply pipe Y16.- This mercu-ry supplypipe leads frorn' a mercuryregeneratingapparatus that,'in-

cludes a tank. or'co-ntainer 17 in jwhich is a-rranged a cathodep-latei'18 and anganode plate 19,-said plates being electrie-a-lly con-"nected to. a suitable sourceof currentsupply,v

such} asa" generator 205 Locatedfiadjac'ent to themercuryregenerating-flankor c0ntaine'r 17, is I a sodium solii-i tiontank: 21 in which is arranged forroper'ati'on a pump-22,-

preferably of the rotary" type i and having a of 'the regeneratingtank-"17- above the plates discharge pipe QB-that-leadsinto. one sidetherein; Lead-ingfrom the opposite sideof tank 17 *is an: overflowo-r-out-let pipes-2- ithat extends to the u'ppeimendof: an' inclinedstraining t-arik OI" I"CQ13liE1-'Cl' 9= 25; and. lead-ing fromaclra'mbenbelow thestrainer therein.

is an-outlet pipe 26 that discharges-.d:irectly 1 into an intake pipeQiY-and Which-latter leads ,tothe lower" portion a of; solution tank 21.

Leading. from the WZlStGxCliilHlbQI off-the straining ta nk'r25' is awaste dischargepjpipe 2/8. Extending from the" l0wer-end cofi-a pocketor recepta le 29 that islocatediadj'acent to the discharge end' offas'mercury. elevator 30 of the regenerating tank .17 "and at a pointabovetlre-p'lates therein is .a: mercury conveying tube 31.6 'The:lower" ios . boot or pocket that end of the mercury elevator 30 which isof the type com ri ing an endless conveyor on which is air-rang :lbuckets, operates in a located adjacent to the trough through which thepulp orslimes es, and leading to said-boottrom a metalee mercuryrereptacle 33 is a mercury con e a a ying tube 34.

All of the parts ust mentioned are dcscribed in detail in our co-pendingpatent I application above referred to and while said parts areessential to the successful operationot our improved apparatus we do"not in this application make specific claims to said parts. 7

plate 33 from which depends a series of curved baflie or retardingplates 39, and

which latter are preferably formed of copper. 4

Plate 38 is adjustably suspended from a frame '40 in order that it maybe swung longitudinally in both directions so as to position the lowerends (of the curved baffle plates 39 at difierent distances away fromthe ends of the rittles.

Plate 38 may be provided with any suitable means for swinging it,lengthwise and for locking it after. proper adjustment and in Fig. 1 wehave shown an adjustinnr'and locking means that includes a handle 41that is pivot-ally connected to said plate and said handle carrying atransverse pin 42 that is adapted to be engaged in one of series ofnotches 42' that are formed ir a fixed part of trame40. v

Arranged in the bottom of trouo'h short distancebelow'the lower end ofthe series of rittles is series of transversely disposed channel-shaped-members '43, the pockets 44 of which are" adapted to receive theamalgam or metal carrying mercury as the same flows downwardly over theinclined bottom of said trough 35. and the bottom ot each pocket 44 isinclined lengthwise so that said amalgam or mercury will by gravitygradually flow toward. the lower end of said pocket. Metal plates 45.preferably copper areapnlied to the upper face of the bottom :ofthetrough-35 between; the channel-shaped members 43 and said plates arearranged so that their lower edges overlie the upper side walls-ct saidmembers 43, while on the'opposite or lower sides of the channelshapedmember's 'the edges of said'iplates 45 Y are spaced apart from saidmembers 43, as desig-' members are aranged in direct alinement with eachother on opposite sides of the me dial line of the trough so thatthe'amalg'am will flow from the center in opposte dircctions toward bothsides of the trough.

Blocks 48 (Fig. 1) are arranged at the ends of the channels 43 where thepockets 44 are of'the greatest depth.

Transversely arranged in the bottom of trough 35 between the lower oneof the channel-shaped members 43 and the lower end of said trough is aseries of transversely dis posed shallow troughs 63 and the ends thereofon one side of said trough 35 communicate with a longitudinally disposedtrough 64 that is positioneddirectly against the side wall of saidtrough 35. Arranged for operation in the upper porscrew conveyor 65 andon the side of trough 35 opposite the'side to which trough '64 isapplied the ends of these screw conveyors are-provided with sprocketwheels 66,over

which travels a sprocket chain 67. Thissprocket chain is driven from asprocket wheel 68 that is fixed on the end of a shaft 69 and the laterbeing journaled in suitable bearings on the trough 35 and carr ."inglarger sprocket wheel 70.

Journaled in suitable bearings in the upper portionof the side walls oftrough 35 is a shaft 71 on which is mounted a drum 72, from theperiphery of which projects vanes for blames 73 that are adapted to beengaged by the pulp-as it flows through the lower portion 0t trough 35.Fixed on shaft 7 t-ion ofeach trough 63 is a relatively small 71'is asprocket wheel 74 and connecting the latter with sprocket wheel 70 is asprocket chain"75.-

' By virtue of this construction the pulp flowing through the lowerportion of-trougzh 35 rotates 'CliIBTfl 72 and the motion thereof willbetransmitted through the drivingcoxr nections just described to shaft 69and trom' thence through sprocket chain 67 to'all of the sprocket wheels66, and as a result all of the screw conveyors 65 will be simultaneous-1y rotated; p v V Shaft 69 extends through troughs-35 and .64 andmounted upon said'shaft within the sprocket wheels 78. carries plates 79that are'adapted to scrape one end thereof, (see Fig.4): 1

mator isas follows:

riilles 36 therein.

trough 64e islasprocket wheel 76, around over the bottom of trough 64and carry any material, that may be delivered thereinto to Theoperationot our improved ,amalga- The metal bearingmaterial in ipulverized Zform is delivered into tank or. launder 10,

and after beingmixed with .waterthat enters through "pipe 12,saidqmaterial' ii -pulp Iform discharges through pipe and flowsdownwardly through trough over the As; -th1soperation takes placenascent or-regenerated mercury dis charges from pipe 16- and passesdownwardly with the pulp into the tank-or launder '35. As the pulp flowsover the step 'riflies,

thefmercu-ry and heavy material intermin gled with saidpulpgw ll 'bygravity pass downward onto the amalgam plates coveringsaid step1rittles,and thelighter portion jofsaid pulp, orthat portion at andznear the topof the volume flowing overtheriflies, will be engaged 'bv'theslowerportions of the curved bafile-plates39 and thus turnediover, so that:any relatively'fine particles of metal that are carried in suspension inthe lighter DOItlOIlOf the-pulp w ll, at some time during itsrpassagedownwardly over the step r-ri tfies, be brought into contact with one ofpthebafiie plates thereby v amalgamating with the mercury thereupon. I v

Inasmuch as the baflie plates 39 and the surtacesot' t-h'e plateseon therifiies are 'coated with mercury, practically all the particles ofmaterial in the pulp will be brought into contact with a mercury coated"surface while'passing over said rifiies and beneath the curved plates,with the result that the mercury on saidplates will amalgamate withoritake up the tree particles'of metal. This metal-containing mercury,

after leaving the riftles, "flows downwardly over themetal-covered"bottomo't the trough or launder and fi nally passes intothe pockets it inthe transverse channel-shaped mem bers 43, and saidmercury, by gravity, flows towards the lower ends of said pockets andinto the pockets of the blocks 48. The mercury bearing the heaviermetals, will, by gravity, separate from the mercury bearing the lightermetals and from themetal-free mercury in passing through the pockets ofthe blocks 48, and for a more complete description of this separatingoperation and the subsequent handling of the metal-tree mercury and theregeneration thereof, reference may be had to our above mentionedco-pending application.

After passing over the series of pockets 44ithe=pulp containing the:so-called black i sands passes over the "channel-shaped mem bers 63inwhich are arranged the-screw conveyors 65, Each member 63 contains abody of mercury below the serew conveyor, which mercury performs the"functions of a mobile cushion for the material such as black sand thatcenters i' the pocket occupied; byothe con- V j veyor, and asthe'conveyorii's: rotated the Inia- 7 t'erial1-within the pocket 7 andfw'hich" lies {on top of the body ofmercury;thereinqivillbe Jinoved.'iengthwise; through; the: eliannelshaped jmemberyand' finally"dischargedint'o wtrough 64.- J

" 1 11? will be understood screw-f conveyor 65*wil1 be simultaneouslyrotated by :the: 'drivingficonnect-ions from :wheel or drum? 72', i theplates of which' 5 are. engaged eby th'e pulp flowing through'thelowerportion *ofiptrough ,35,- -and simultaneously the scraper-carryingchain '77 operating in said trough will be operated to scrape all'ma---terial thatis discharged into said't-rough toward one end of "the'latter, and from eated receptacle. 1 rThuszit will be seen-that'weihaveprovided 'a relatively simple and efficient apparatus for-the veryrapidf and economicalha'ndling ot-placer material toefiectthe'separation of all metallic values 4 therefromand; also for removingfrom said placer material all low grade-metals, such as iron, hematiteandthe whencefit mav discharge into a suitably 10- like, whichusua'llytake-the'form of the so-- called black'sand. j a r ObVlOuSlY, minorchanges m the size, form and construction of "the various parts of ourimproved amalgamator and separator may be made and substituted forthose'herein shown and described -w1'thout departing from'thespirit ofour invention, thescope of Weclaim as our invention eras which issetforth in; the appended unma- 1. In ian amalgamator, a-trough through51'10 to pass, a-series of mercury pockets in the bottom of said trough,screw conveyors ar- 1 which the material to be treated is adapted rangedforxoper-ation in the trough for re- -moving the materialthat collectswithin the pockets, a receptacle adapted to: receive the mat'erial,removed from the mercury pockets by the conveyors therein, and means forremoving the material from said receptacle.

2. An amalgamator comprising a trough through which metal bearing,material is adapted to pass, said trough being provided with a mercurycontaining pocket, a receptaele adjacent the trough, a spiral conveyorto flow, there being a series of transversely disposed pockets formed in"the bottom of said trough, which pockets'are adapted to containmercury, a receptacle onthe side of the trough, the chamber within whichreceptacle communicates with the pockets in the bottom ofthe trough, andspiral conveyers arranged for operation within said pockets and adaptedto move material that may collect in said'pocketson top of the mercurytherein into the receptacle on the side of the trough.

which the metal bearing material is -adapted to flow, there being aseries of transversely disposed pockets formed in the-bottom of saidtrough, which pockets areadapted to contain mercury, a receptacleon theside of the trough, the chamber within which receptacle communicateswith the pockets. in the bottom of the trough, and means actuated by theflow of material through the trough for moving material that may collectin the mercury pockets into the receptacle at the side of the trough.

5, In an amalgamator, a trough through which the metal bearing materialis adapted to flow, there being a series of transversely disposedpockets formed in the bottom of said trough. which pockets are adaptedto contain mercury. a receptacle on the side of the trough. the chamberwithin which recepztacle communicates with the pockets inthe bottom ofthe trough, spiral conveyers arranged for operation within said pocketsand adapted to move material that may collect in said pockets on top ofthe mercury therein into the receptacle on' the side of the trough,

and means for effecting the discharge of material from said receptacle.

6. In an amalgamator, a trough through which the metal bearing mater alisadapted to flow. there being a series, of transversely disposedpockets termed in the bottom of said trough. which pockets are adaptedto contain mercury. a receptacle on the side of the trough. the chamberwithin which receptacle communicates with the pockets in the bottom ofthe trough. means actuated by the flow of material through the troughfor moving material that may collect in the mercury pockets intoreceptacle at the side of said spiral conveyer.

the trough, and means for efiecting the discharge of material from saidreceptacle.

7. In an amalgamator, a troughthrough which metal bearing material isadapted to pass, a transversely disposed pocket ar-.

v V material through the trough. for rotating 4. In an amalgamator, atrough through '8. In an amalgamator,a troughthrough which metal bearingmaterial is adapted to pass, 'a transversely disposed pocket arranged inthe bottom of said trough adapted to contain mercury, aspiral conveyerarranged for operation within said pocket above the surface of thebodyof mercury therein for removing material from said pocket, meansactuated by the flow of material through the trough for rotating saidspiral. conveyer, and means for collecting any material discharged fromsaid pocket by said conveyer. j

9. An amalgamator comprising a trough through which metal bearingmaterial is adapted to pass, said trough'being provided with a mercurycontaining pocket, at receptacle adjacent the trough, means for discharging material accumulating on'the mercury into the receptacle, meansactuated by the flow of material through the trough for operating thefirst means, andmeans actuated by the flow of material through thetrough for effecting the discharge of material from said receptacle.

10. An amalgamator comprising a trough through which metal bearingmaterial is adaptedto pass, said trough being provided with a pocketadapted to contain mercury, a receptacle at one end of and, at rightangles to the trough, a convevor for discharging the materialaccumulating on the mercury into the receptacle. and means actuated by athe flow of material through the trough for operating the conveyor.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speci cation.

(FA S. MEYER. HENRY B; MEADE.

